Hugh Jackman Teases 'Wolverine 3' Ideas But Isn't Contracted Yet

In just a few weeks The Wolverine releases on home video, with additional footage from deleted scenes and - from we've already seen leaked - a very exciting alternate ending to the film which reveals the classic Wolverine costume from the comics adapted into the live-action film universe. Will we ever see star Hugh Jackman wear it?

Jackman, who's been reprising the role ever since stepping into the boots of Logan as a last minute replacement for Dougray Scott in Bryan Singer's original X-Men back in 2000, returns again to his career-defining role next summer in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

After that we know X-Force is one of several projects in early development at Twentieth Century Fox to continue expanding the franchise and we just learned that The Wolverine director James Mangold has been tapped to put together a story for Wolverine 3, which Jackman has since confirmed to true.

In chatting vaguely with EW about the potential for a third solo Wolverine outing, Jackman teased big, exciting ideas revolving what may be a crucial plot point in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

"I was on the phone with Jim Mangold last night. There are some really cool ideas that I'm dying to tell you, but that would be giving away a secret that is not even [fully] formed yet."

As for his contract and rumors of a potential 4-picture deal in the works, his current obligations end with Days of Future Past next year and he's adopting a wait-and-see approach to returning again, depending on Fox delivering the right story - at least that's what he says to the media. Need to maintain a position for negotiations, right? That doesn't mean he's not interested - he very much is and this statement echos what he and producer Hutch Parker told us while we visited The Wolverine set last fall. It's up to the creatives to deliver a story worthy of making and worthy of Jackman working hard on.

"I started with a two-picture deal on the first two [X-Men films], and from that point on, it's been movie by movie — not just me, but Fox and Jim and everyone. I do want to do it with Jim and with [producer] Lauren Shuler-Donner because we had such a great experience. I’m really proud of The Wolverine."

While staying in mutant shape to play the frequently shirtless and rugged hero is becoming increasingly challenging and time-consuming for Jackman, he continued, explaining that he loves the character even more now that he's older.

"I don’t want to dive into another one until we have a compelling reason to do another one. I love the character, he's kind of like a best friend to me, and I don't ever want to take [him] or the fans for granted. … I think we've got a great opportunity to make something really cool, but it has to be great. That’s what we're all working toward."

Of course, if the Aussie actor is to suit up once again as the popular X-Men character, that would mean he'd likely be back for other X-Men properties as well since it's been proven time and time again that Fox likes having him around in all of their X-Men features. This lends credence to the idea that his Wolverine could be a key member of Jeff Wadlow's in-development X-Force. There's also the possibility that Bryan Singer, Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Simon Kinberg re-team for a third installment in the First Class trilogy - Singer did go on record before shooting Days of Future Past that he had big ideas to blow open the X-Men universe.

And here's a little related tidbit from Bryan Singer on Twitter about post-production on the biggest X-Men movie to date:

Want to see many more years of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? Want to see him suit up in the classic yellow costumes, and potentially other X-Men outfits from Marvel Comics? What story from the books would you like to see Wolverine 3 take inspiration from?

[poll id="713"]

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The Wolverine releases hits home video December 3, 2013, X-Men: Days of Future Past on May 23, 2014. Fantastic Fouropens June 19, 2015.